A centrifuge instrument is a device by which liquid samples may be subjected to centrifugal forces. The sample is placed in a container such as a test tube, which is then carried within a device known as a centrifuge rotor. The rotor is mounted to a rotatable drive shaft that is connected to a source of motive energy. The rotor may have a lid that is secured in place on the rotor by a locking screw, which passes through the lid and is secured to the rotor or the drive shaft. The lid improves the aerodynamics, of the rotor, decreasing the air resistance and noise generated when the rotor is spun. In some instances, the lid forms a seal with the rotor body preventing leakage from the rotor should sample leak from its container during operation. A sealed rotor also facilitates operation in a centrifuge with an evacuated chamber.
Centrifuges currently employed in laboratories are generally operated by manual controls using various settings and procedures. A rotor control may be used to select a specific size or type of rotor to be used in the centrifuge. Typically, there is a wide selection of rotors compatible for use with a given centrifuge. A speed control is used to select the desired speed for the customer's protocol. The speed selected and the geometric configuration of the rotor used, specifically the radius, cooperate to expose the sample to centrifugal force. The centrifugal force on the sample is compared with the force that the earth's gravity would have on the sample, called the Relative Centrifugal Force (RCF). Alternatively, a RCF control can be used to directly set the desired RCF. A timer and temperature control are also frequently used to set the time of the protocol and control the sample temperature during the run. There are conventional power switches to manually turn the centrifuges on or off as needed.
Centrifuges commonly have a door that must be opened to access the rotor and its contents or samples and must be closed to operate the centrifuge. The rotor is secured to a drive shaft in the centrifuge and holds the liquid samples to be subjected to the centrifugal force created as the rotor is rotated by the drive shaft.
It is desirable to have a rotor lid holder to hold the rotor lid when it is removed from the rotor to load and unload samples. Typical centrifuges have minimal flat space on which to rest the lid during sample loading and unloading. Even where there is sufficient space on the centrifuge or where available bench space is located near by, the lid is not held in place and is susceptible to becoming dislodged and potentially damaged. As shown in FIG. 6, current rotor lid holder devices 50 are generally located on the underside of the centrifuge door. Therefore, rotor lid holder devices presently require the centrifuge door to be opened in order to utilize the holder apparatus. The door is usually hinged with the lid holder located underneath and integral to the door. Additionally, current lid holders may only be compatible with a single size of rotor lid. The rotor control panel and displays are set apart from the lid holder in the current design.
This configuration of a rotor lid holder device cannot be used on horizontally retracting centrifuge doors.
Present rotor lid holder devices are posts that mate with the rotor lid so that the lid may be attached to the post on the underside of the centrifuge door. Therefore, only rotor lids with a certain sized and designed screw hole will properly mate with the post.
Accordingly, a centrifuge rotor lid holder device and method for securing a rotor lid to a centrifuge that may have a retracting centrifuge door are desired.
Additionally, a centrifuge rotor lid holder device and method for securing a variety of rotor lid configurations and sizes to a centrifuge are also desired.